untitled [The characters at the watch]
untitled [The characters at the watch], Gottfried Aeschlimann, between 1915 and 1925

Gottfried Aeschlimann

(1858-1930), Switzerland

Information concerning Gottfried Aeschlimann is scarce. A factory worker and husband, he was committed to Waldau psychiatric asylum* in 1908, where he remained until his death in 1930.

The two drawings attributed to him are executed in graphite. They depict scenes from everyday life, whether rural – two shepherds with their goats, a flower in their mouths – or bourgeois – figures in formal dress, with pocket watches and hats. Jean Dubuffet discovered the drawings during his visit to Waldau cantonal asylum* in 1945.

Artwork selection

from the Collection

Related to the author

Art Brut in Switzerland – From the Origins of the Collection to the Present
Ongoing

From 28 February 2026 to 27 September 2026 

Art Brut in Switzerland – From the Origins of the Collection to the Present

The exhibition Art Brut in Switzerland – From the Origins of the Collection to the Present, celebrating 50 years of creation and artistic freedom, between unknown masterpieces and fascinating stories, where Switzerland saw the birth of an aesthetic revolution. Sarah Lombardi, director of the Collection de l'Art Brut, is the curator of the exhibition.


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